The Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival (Japan) is accepting documentaries for the International Competition (full length docs) until April 15th (2023), and the New Asian Currents Section (full length and short docs) until May 15th (2023).

About the festival:
Located in a verdant, rolling valley far north of Tokyo, Yamagata City is the site for Asia’s first international documentary film festival. The first Film Festival (in 1989) was an event to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Yamagata City, the sponsor of the festival at the time, and has been held biennially ever since in Yamagata’s best season, October.

General Rules:
– Films must be uploaded to a designated server or submitted on DVD during the entry submission period. We do not accept internet links (YouTube, Vimeo etc.), delivery by online file storage service nor USB flash drive.
– Submissions may also be made by sending two DVD copies of the film (region 0 / DVD-Video format). Blu-ray disk is NOT acceptable.
– Entrants may also submit the materials listed below online, if available: Press Kit (English or Japanese), and Film Stills (up to 3 different images).
– DVDs and uploaded films submitted to YIDFF 2023 will not be returned to entrants nor destroyed. They will be retained by the YAMAGATA Documentary Film Library solely for research and educational purposes.
– The entrant is responsible for all necessary copyright clearances for material used in their submitted works. The YIDFF will not be held responsible for damage resulting from copyright infringement lawsuits from other parties, which are entirely the responsibility of the entrant.

International Competition Eligibility:
– Accepts docs from all over the world.
– The final form of the work is 16mm or 35mm film print, or video/digital format (DCP, Blu-ray, video files etc).
– The work has not been released publicly in Japan (screenings in theaters or TV broadcast) prior to being presented at YIDFF 2023. Japanese films are exempt from this rule.
– Docs must have been completed after April 1, 2021.
– Short will not be accepted.

New Asian Currents Eligibility:
– For up-and-coming Asian documentary filmmakers.
– Directors must be from or living in Asia.
– There is NO restrictions on format (film or video/digital), length of work, or style.

Submission Fee: FREE
Deadlines:
* International Competition (completed before October 31, 2022) – December 15, 2022
* International Competition (completed after November 1, 2022) – April 15th, 2023
* New Asian Currents – May 15th, 2023

We recommend filmmakers to read the full Rules and Regulations here: https://www.yidff.jp/2023/entry/23entry1-e.html

To submit to the festival please visit: https://www.yidff.jp/2023/entry/23entry-e.html

We remind readers that the 18th Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival will take place from October 5 – 12, 2023 in Yamagata, Japan.

To see other Call for Entries please follow the next link: “Call For Entries”